The Harappan Civilization is a most important chapter of 12th standard NCERT specially for UPSC aspirants, for both prelims and mains examination. "must read".

1. 2500-1500 B.C.E
Class 11th NCERT

2.  It’s called Harappan because this civilization was
discovered first in 1921 at the modern site of Harappa
situated in the province of west Punjab in Pakistan.
 Its discovered by Daya Ram Sahni in 1921 B.C.
 The Indus Valley Civilization named by Sir John Marshal.
 The maximum number of sites were explored by S.R Rao,
in Gujarat (190 sites), at present there are 350 sites have
been excavated.
 The Largest Indus Valley Civilization site is Mohenjo-daro,
and the smallest site is Allahdino.
 The largest sites in India Dholavira and Rakhigarhi, The
three nucleus sites are Mohenjo-daro, Harappa and
Dholavira.

3.  Most developed Culture
 It existed about 1000 years
 About 12,99,600 sq. km. it spread
 Larger than Pakistan and Bigger than ancient Egypt
and Mesopotamia
 Nearly 1500 Harappan sites are known so far in the
subcontinent, most of them are post Harappan sites
including Bhagwanpura generally lie on the bank of
hakra ghaggar
 Bronze age Civilization

5.  Few from 1500 sites were regarded as cities
 In which, two were most important, 1- Harappa in
Panjab and 2- Mohenjo Daro in Sindh, situated at a
distance of 483 km, which was forming parts of
Pakistan.
 About 130 km south of Mohenjo-daro in Sindh, there
was 3rd city lay at Chahnu-daro, 4th at lothal in
Gujarat(head of the gulf of combay), 5th city at
Kalibangan(black bangles), in northern Rajasthan, 6th
was Banawali situated in Hissar(dist-Haryana)
 Rakhigarhi site was bigger than the Dholavira

8.  Harappa and Mohenjo-daro each had its own citadel(west
higher area known as citadel.
 Below the citadel in each city lay a lower town (was lesser
height) containing brick houses, they followed the grid
system, created right angles.
 They used burnt bricks for bathroom construction and etc.
water supplied by wells
 Mohenjo-daro had its largest building(45.71 meters long
and 15.23m wide) as granary(where grains were kept) but in
the citadel of Harappa found as many as six granaries
which covers approximately same area as great granary at
Mohenjo-daro.

9.  The drainage system of Mohenjo-daro was very impressive ,
the drains were interconnected to roads and houses like
modern era(water flowed from the houses to the streets
which had drains), which also been found at Banawali.
 Every house had its own courtyard and bathroom
 In Kalibangan many houses had their wells.
 The drainage system of Harappa is almost unique, perhaps
no other bronze age civilization gave so much attention to
health and cleanliness as the Harappa did.

10.  Comparatively rainless , the Indus region is not so fertile
these days, at present it has only a rainfall of about 15cm.
 In the fourth century B.C the Alexander(the historian)
informs that sindh was fertile part of country, as in earlier
times Indus valley regions possessed more natural
vegetation which attracted more rainfall, far more reason of
the fertility seems the annual inundation in Indus river.
 It supplied timber fuel for baking bricks on a large scale.
 It destroyed by the extension of agriculture, large scale
grazing and supply of fuel.
 Indus carried far more alluvial silt then the Nile in Egypt.

11.  No ploughshare has been discovered, but the Furrows
discovered in the Pre-Harappan phase at Kalibangan.
 Gabarband and nalas enclosed by dams for storing water
were a feature in parts of Baluchistan and Afghanistan, but
channel or canal irrigation seems absent.
 The Indus people produced wheat, barley, rai, peas, etc.
They produced two types of wheat and barley, a good
quantity of barley has been discovered at Banawali, accept
this they produced sesamum(found in tropical and
subtropical areas)and mustard.
 Foodgrains were stored in huge granaries in both Mohenjo-
daro and Harappa and posibly in Kalibangan.
 Indus people were earliest to produce cotton, because
cotton was the first produced in this area Greeks called it
sindon, which is derived from sindh.

12.  Although the Harappans practiced agriculture, animals
were kept on a large scale. Oxen, buffaloes, goats, sheep
and pigs were domesticated.
 Humped bull were favored by Harappans. Dogs and cats
regarded as pets, signs of their feet have been noticed, they
also kept asses and camels.
 Evidence of the horse comes from a superficial level of
Mohenjo-daro and from a doubtful terracotta figurine from
lothal, and remains of the horses reported from Surkotada,
situated in west Gujarat.
 Elephants were well known to the Harappans,
Mesopotamians produced the same food grains and
domesticated the same animals.

14.  Regarding the Indus Valley Civilization, consider the
following statements:(2011)
 It was predominantly a secular civilization and the religious
element, though present, did not dominate the scene,
 During this period, cotton was used for manufacturing
textiles in India.
 Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
 (a.) 1 only
 (b.) 2 only
 (c.) Both 1 and 2
 (d.) Neither 1 nor 2

15.  Which of the following characterizes/ characterize the
people of Indus Civilization? (2013)
 They possessed great palaces and temples.
 They worshipped both male and female deities.
 They employed horse-drawn chariots in warfare.
 Select the correct statement/ statements using the codes
given below.
 (a) 1 and 2 only
 (b) 2 only
 (e) 1, 2 and 3
 (d) None of the statements given above is correct